Macadamia and Banana Loaf
A moist, golden Australian tea loaf packed with ripe bananas and roasted local macadamias. Delicious sliced thick and served warm with salted butter.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •21 x 11 cm loaf tin
- •baking paper
- •large mixing bowl
- •baking tray
- •wire cooling rack
- •spatula
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 19 g
- carbs
- 38 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan-forced) and line a 21 x 11 cm loaf tin with baking paper.
- 2
Scatter the chopped macadamias onto a baking tray and roast for 6 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant.
- 3
Whisk the mashed bananas, melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until smooth.
- 4
Sift the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt directly into the wet banana mixture.
- 5
Gently fold the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overwork the batter.
- 6
Fold three-quarters of the toasted macadamias into the batter until evenly distributed.
- 7
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
- 8
Scatter the remaining toasted macadamias over the top of the batter.
- 9
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- 10
Rest the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's tips
Use heavily speckled, overripe bananas for the richest sweetness and moist crumb. Toasting the macadamias beforehand brings out their buttery oils and keeps them crisp inside the loaf. Avoid overmixing the batter once the flour is added to keep the crumb tender.
Ingredient substitutions
- unsalted butter → cold-pressed macadamia oil or melted coconut oil
- soft brown sugar → raw sugar or coconut sugar
- macadamia nuts → pecans or walnuts
Storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze individual wrapped slices for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Toast thick slices under a hot grill or pop them in a toaster until the edges are golden and crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using pale, underripe bananas, which makes the loaf dry and lacking in sweet flavour.
- •Overmixing the batter, resulting in a dense and rubbery texture rather than a light crumb.
- •Cutting into the loaf immediately from the oven, which causes it to crumble apart.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Macadamia and Banana Loaf?
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